RED HOOK – Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino presented her first State of the County Address Thursday evening, outlining many of her priorities for Dutchess County Government, before hundreds of residents, business and nonprofit leaders, as well as local and state officials gathered at Red Hook High School’s Performing Arts Center in Red Hook.
County Executive Serino said, “The state of Dutchess County is strong, thanks to the dedicated women and men of County government who go above and beyond to enhance our quality of life. We are truly fortunate to live and work in this vibrant and thriving community, but we must commit ourselves to always striving to do more – to be responsive to each of our young people, families, seniors, veterans and those who are struggling – to listen to their concerns and encourage them to help us decide how we, as a community, tackle difficult challenges. We must, above all, treat each other with respect, kindness and compassion. These are the principles and goals that guide me each day and will inform the decisions I make on behalf of our taxpayers.”
Serino’s address affirmed her commitment to ensuring the work of the Dutchess County Government remains focused on enhancing the quality of life for residents. Just more than two months after taking office, the former state senator, county legislator, and town board member has been engaged in learning about current projects as well as promoting new ideas and concepts to explore.
The county executive continued to highlight her campaign platform previously described as a listening tour by stressing that “bringing people together, through roundtables, discussions, and events – is paramount to creating effective solutions for difficult challenges and that every decision must be carefully weighed for its impact on the taxpayer and how it will benefit people for generations into the future.”
The freshman county executive touched on a wide range of initiatives and programs that she has already been engaged with, as well as some that are in the planning stages for 2024, including:
- Partnering with Wappingers Central School District to host a “Career in the Skilled Trades” fair on Thursday, April 18 to highlight trades and other skilled job opportunities at Roy C. Ketcham High School.
- A partnership with Dutchess Outreach and the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, to launch the “Dutchess County Food Security Council” to more effectively address hunger and food insecurity while improving access to healthy, locally grown food for the growing number of people who depend on the 65 food pantries throughout Dutchess County.
- Dedicating hotel tax revenue from short-term rentals to ensure a sustainable funding stream for the County’s innovative Housing Trust Fund, bolstering the original $12.3 million commitment that created the fund, to encourage the development of additional affordable housing opportunities.
- Working with DCC to bolster the EMS ranks
Serino also mentioned a public awareness campaign on “when to call an ambulance” which has already been initiated by Mid-Hudson News. The first of the Mid-Hudson News “ambulance awareness videos” discussing the topic of when not to call an ambulance can be viewed here.
Video of Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino talking about when not to call an ambulance:
